Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
After last week’s Aintree National, it is the Scottish equivalent from Ayr hot on its heels this Saturday. This contest is backed up by a really good card that includes the Champion Chase and the Champion Hurdle. But with jump racing coming to its inevitable conclusion flat racing is now coming to the fore.
After the Craven meeting from Newmarket this week, Newbury has its Spring two-day meeting on Friday and Saturday. The card on Saturday features three Group 3s and the Spring Cup Handicap, which I have reviewed below. That handicap forms part of this week’s Lucky Fifteen along with races from Ayr, and here are my thoughts.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.25 Ayr. Westport Cove
3.35 Ayr. Whacker Clan
2.40 Newbury. Mister Sketch
3.15 Newbury. Dancing Magic
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
The Ayr 2.25 is the Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle a Grade 2 contest run over 2 miles. This Limited Handicap has been targeted by Irish trainer Willie Mullins, who has three entries in the race: Westport Cove, Bialystok and bottom weight Alvaniy.
Probably the best of these is Westport Cove who ran third in a Listed race at Fairyhouse last month after being pulled up in a Grade 3 at the Cheltenham Festival. Bialystok was 15th beaten 20 lengths in that same race.
Paul Nicholls runs Rubaud, who won this last year and who started this season with two wins in Class 1 company, but he has 15lbs more than last year.
Dan Skelton’s L’Eau Du Sud ran a fine second at Cheltenham and is the bookies choice but he has risen in the ratings since.
Alan King’s Favour And Fortune takes his chance here after disappointing at Cheltenham but his trainer feels the going may be against him. I think he will go close.
Another Irish runner is Cian Collins’s Effernock Fizz, who skipped the Festival and then won a Listed race at Fairyhouse at the end of March. He is another who can be in the shakeup, but my preference is for Mullins’s Westport Cove.
The Coral Scottish Grand National Handicap Chase is at 3.35. This Grade 3 is run over 4 miles, and again, Willie Mullins has those runners at the top of the betting. He has six entries, and the current favourite is his Macdermott, who didn’t run at Cheltenham or Aintree. Instead, he went to Fairyhouse at the beginning of this month and romped home by 12 lengths.
Mullins’s also main fancy is Mr Incredible who was hampered and unseated at The Chair in last week’s Grand National. He was problematic at the start and that may be a drawback. His previous run was a fine second in the Midlands National at Uttoxeter.
Mullins’s other runners On The Ropes, Spanish Harlem, Klarc Kent and We’llhavewan can all be respected in their own way and are each-way chances. Top weight is Paul Nicholls’s Stay Away Fay, who won two novice chases before Christmas but was pulled up at Cheltenham.
Brian Ellison’s Anglers Crag followed up a win at Musselburgh with a fine victory in the Eider Chase at Newcastle in February. He comes here with an unbeaten record for the season and would be a popular winner but this is tougher.
NW Alexander’s Elvis Mail has been a course winner on three occasions and is a local hero. He recently won at Carlisle, so he is in form, but he has a lot to do here.
My selection is another Irish raider, Henry de Bromhead’s Whacker Clan, who won at Cheltenham in October and ran third at the Festival. He looks well handicapped here.
Moving to Flat racing at Newbury the 2.40 is the Watership Down Stud Too Darn Hot Greenham Stakes a Group 3 contest run over 7 furlongs. Ralph Beckett’s unbeaten gelding Zoum Zoum is the bookies’ choice. He had three 2-year-old wins and were completed in a Listed Race at Saint-Cloud in November and he looks the one to beat.
Kevin Ryan’s Room Service won first time out at Wetherby then completed his season with a victory at Doncaster. He can go well.
Adrian Keatley’s Ballymount Boy ran consistently well as a 2-year-old and finished his campaign with a victory at Doncaster in October.
James’s Delight won at Pontefract for trainer Clive Cox in early April, but this is a massive step up into Group company.
I’ll take a chance with Eve Johnson Houghton’s Mister Sketch, who won a small race at Salisbury in August then was considered good enough to run in a Group 2 here at Newbury the following month. He was a fast finishing second beaten only half a length. That sort of form would be successful here.
The 3.15 is the OLBG SpringCup Handicap, which is a Class 2 race run over a mile. Julie Camacho’s Lattam was second in the Lincoln at Doncaster last Month and meets several of the opponents he had behind him that day once again here. The handicapper has not been hard on him and I expect him to confirm those placings and go close once again.
Top weight is Richard Hughes’s Real Gain, who won twice last season, including in September at Newmarket. He returned the following month in a Group 3 contest and finished fifth.
James Horton’s Navagio was third in the Lincoln and was finishing well. He can go close once more.
Archie Watson’s Noble Order has been plying his trade on the all-weather with some success but this is much tougher.
William Haggas’s Godwinson won a small race at Hamilton last season but would have to show massive improvement to feature here.
My preference is for Roger Teal’s Dancing Magic, who raced in Class 1 company last season and was not disgraced. He finished his season in a handicap at Ascot and raced alone up the centre of the course. So that result can be forgiven. He is well-drawn here and has the class to take this.
Saturday Lucky Fifteen
2.25 Ayr. Westport Cove
3.35 Ayr. Whacker Clan
2.40 Newbury. Mister Sketch
3.15 Newbury. Dancing Magic
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
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